Catalyst for oxygen storage capacity applications that include a zinc doped manganese-iron spinel mixed oxide material. The zinc doped manganese-iron spinel mixed oxide material may be synthesized by a co-precipitation method using a precipitation agent such as sodium carbonate and exhibits a high oxygen storage capacity.

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine with a catalytic converter for exhaust-gas aftertreatment, comprising specification of a target fill level profile is proposed, which fluctuates between an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value, of at least one exhaust-gas component that can be stored in the catalytic converter, determination of a present fill level of the at least one exhaust-gas component in the catalytic converter on the basis of a theoretical catalytic converter model, and control of the internal combustion engine so as to generate an exhaust gas with a target concentration of the at least one exhaust-gas component such that a deviation between the present fill level and the present target fill level in accordance with the target fill level profile is reduced. A processing unit and a computer program product for carrying out a method of said type, and a vehicle which is configured for carrying out the method, are likewise proposed.

An internal combustion engine control device and a catalyst deterioration diagnostic method according to the present invention control the amount of fuel to be supplied to an internal combustion engine such that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust on the downstream side of the exhaust purification catalyst is alternately switched between rich and lean, measure the oxygen storage capability of the exhaust purification catalyst during a measurement period within a reversal period of the air-fuel ratio, and diagnose deterioration of the exhaust purification catalyst based on a measurement value of the oxygen storage capability. A time point at which the output of an exhaust sensor indicates that the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust on the downstream side of the exhaust purification catalyst begins to change from a vicinity of a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio to rich or lean is set as the time of end of the measurement period.

The present disclosure provides an exhaust gas purifying catalyst that may exhibit high purification performance both in a low temperature state immediately after an engine is started and during a high-load operation. The exhaust gas purifying catalyst disclosed herein contains at least one type of noble metal purifying exhaust gas, and includes a substrate, and a catalyst coat layer formed on a surface of the substrate. The catalyst coat layer is formed to have a stack structure including a lower layer provided on the substrate and an upper layer provided on the lower layer. The lower layer contains a noble metal and an oxide having an oxygen storage capacity. A noble metal-containing surface layer portion containing a noble metal is formed in at least a part of a surface portion of the upper layer. The upper layer does not contain an oxide having the oxygen storage capacity.

An exhaust gas control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine and configured to be able to occlude oxygen; an air-fuel ratio sensor that detects an air-fuel ratio of an out-flow exhaust gas; and an air-fuel ratio control device that controls an air-fuel ratio of an in-flow exhaust gas to a target air-fuel ratio. The device executes air-fuel ratio reduction control in which the target air-fuel ratio is set to a rich setting air-fuel ratio, and corrects a parameter related to the air-fuel ratio reduction control such that an amount of a reducing gas supplied to the catalyst is decreased when a minimum air-fuel ratio obtained when the detected air-fuel ratio is varied to a rich side is richer than the rich setting air-fuel ratio or an average value of detected air-fuel ratios of the in-flow exhaust gas.

An exhaust gas control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine and configured to be able to occlude oxygen; an air-fuel ratio sensor that detects an air-fuel ratio of an out-flow exhaust gas; and an air-fuel ratio control device that controls an air-fuel ratio of an in-flow exhaust gas to a target air-fuel ratio. The device executes air-fuel ratio reduction control in which the target air-fuel ratio is set to a rich setting air-fuel ratio, and corrects a parameter related to the air-fuel ratio reduction control such that an amount of a reducing gas supplied to the catalyst is decreased when a minimum air-fuel ratio obtained when the detected air-fuel ratio is varied to a rich side is richer than the rich setting air-fuel ratio or an average value of detected air-fuel ratios of the in-flow exhaust gas.

An engine control device is configured to perform an air-fuel ratio main feedback process based on an output of a front air-fuel ratio sensor, an air-fuel ratio sub feedback process of alternately switching a target air-fuel ratio between a rich side target air-fuel ratio and a lean side target air-fuel ratio based on an output of a rear air-fuel ratio sensor, and a catalyst air-fuel ratio correction process of, when an opening degree of a wastegate valve is large, correcting the target air-fuel ratio to be the air-fuel ratio on the rich side with respect to the air-fuel ratio when the opening degree is small.

A method for controlling an internal combustion engine with a catalytic converter for exhaust-gas aftertreatment, comprising specification of a target fill level profile is proposed, which fluctuates between an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value, of at least one exhaust-gas component that can be stored in the catalytic converter, determination of a present fill level of the at least one exhaust-gas component in the catalytic converter on the basis of a theoretical catalytic converter model, and control of the internal combustion engine so as to generate an exhaust gas with a target concentration of the at least one exhaust-gas component such that a deviation between the present fill level and the present target fill level in accordance with the target fill level profile is reduced. A processing unit and a computer program product for carrying out a method of said type, and a vehicle which is configured for carrying out the method, are likewise proposed.

The present invention provides an exhaust gas purification catalyst including a base material 11 and a catalyst layer 20 provided on the base material 11. The catalyst layer 20 includes: a catalyst metal; and a carrying material 21 carrying the catalyst metal. The carrying material 21 includes: an OSC material 22 having an oxygen storage capacity; and a carrier 23 other than the OSC material. The OSC material 22 has a mean particle diameter Dx of 1.5 μm or more which is larger than the mean particle diameter Dy of the carrier 23 other than the OSC material 22.

An engine control device is configured to perform an air-fuel ratio main feedback process based on an output of a front air-fuel ratio sensor, an air-fuel ratio sub feedback process of alternately switching a target air-fuel ratio between a rich side target air-fuel ratio and a lean side target air-fuel ratio based on an output of a rear air-fuel ratio sensor, and a catalyst air-fuel ratio correction process of, when an opening degree of a wastegate valve is large, correcting the target air-fuel ratio to be the air-fuel ratio on the rich side with respect to the air-fuel ratio when the opening degree is small.